Astra Model F
Astra-Unceta y Cia · Machine Gun · Discontinued · 1934
Also known as: Astra F, Astra 900F, Model F machine pistol
Overview
The Astra Model F is a Spanish select-fire machine pistol developed by Astra-Unceta y Cia as a fully automatic member of the Astra 900 'broomhandle' family, and by GunSpec's classification it sits among machine gun class weapons. Chambered in 9x23mm Largo, it retains the short-recoil, locked-breech action of the semi-automatic Astra 902/903 but adds a fire selector and, crucially, a rate-reducing mechanism housed inside the grip that lowers the cyclic rate to a controllable 350 rounds per minute. Fed from detachable 10- or 20-round box magazines and paired with a wooden shoulder-stock holster, it was ordered by the Spanish Guardia Civil in the mid-1930s.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1450 g (51.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 310 mm (12.20") |
| Barrel Length | 160 mm (6.30") |
| Action Type | Short Recoil |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Select Fire |
| Magazine Capacity | 20 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 365 m/s (1198 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 535 J (395 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 350 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 9x23mm Largo (Bergmann-Bayard) · primary — also known as 9mm Largo, 9mm Bergmann, 9mm Bergmann-Bayard, 9x23mm Bergmann
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Rate Reducer
- Features: Select Fire, Detachable Box Magazine, In Grip Rate Reducing Mechanism, Locked Breech, Shoulder Stock Holster
Service history
Operators
- Guardia Civil · adopted 1934 · as Model F
Conflicts
- Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)
Production
Estimated total produced: 1,126 · Production years: 1934-1935
Roughly 1,100-1,200 produced; about 1,126 units delivered in 1935 for the Guardia Civil order.
Origin
Country of origin: Spain
Designer: Astra-Unceta y Cia
Discontinued: 1935
Notes
The in-grip rate reducer was Astra's answer to the uncontrollable full-auto fire of contemporary machine pistols such as the Mauser Schnellfeuer; it slowed the cyclic rate enough to make aimed automatic bursts practical. Only around 1,100-1,200 were manufactured, making surviving examples very rare.
Background
The Model F was Astra's select-fire evolution of the C96-style broomhandle, distinguished by a clockwork-like rate reducer buried in the grip that tamed the otherwise wild full-automatic fire of a pistol-caliber machine gun into disciplined, aimable bursts.